1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to hand knives having power driven ring-like rotary cutting blades used primarily in the packing house, and meat distribution industries, for trimming and slicing meat and for removing meat from bones.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hand knives having power driven, ring-like rotary blades have been used for some time in packing houses, meat distribution or wholesale houses and the like, for trimming and slicing meat and for removing meat particles from bones. These knives are commonly referred to as trimming and slicing knives and boning knives. Two such prior art knives are discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,882. The ring-like blades of such knives are of relatively small diameter and dull after relatively short usage and are difficult to sharpen. While sharpeners are available for sharpening such knives without removing the blade from the knife, the blades are generally removed from the knives for sharpening. Because of the relatively small sizes of the parts involved, removal and replacement of the blades has been a tedious and time consuming operation. This is especially true as the operation is performed at the locations where the knives are used, that is, in packing houses and the like, and the parts are typically wet and greasy. Material being removed from a product being processed has a tendency to fall away from the product and to follow the circular motion of the knife thus reducing the efficiency of the cutting or triming operation.